Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus and an image forming system.
Description of Related Art
Conventionally, in a copying machine or the like capable of reading images, maintenance work is performed by taking out a unit to be maintained. For example, it has been proposed to locate a paper conveying section in a low position of an apparatus for improving the operability of replacing a toner cartridge (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Published Application No. 2005-173171).
On the other hand, for example, it has been proposed to retract an intermediate transfer belt in a position where the intermediate transfer belt does not come in contact with a photoreceptor member when replacing an intermediate transfer unit (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Published Application No. 2001-183957).
Meanwhile, in the case where a scanner is directly linked with a calibration member which is located to face the scanner, flickers may occur in a read image because of vibration due to rotation of the calibration member, vibration occurring when a sheet collides with the calibration member, vibration occurring when a sheet collides with a conveying route or the like vibration transmitted to the scanner. The reading accuracy of the scanner is thereby lowered to degrade the image quality.
Also, in the case where a scanner is not directly linked with a calibration member which is located to face the scanner, when withdrawing the scanner and a conveyance unit on which the calibration member is mounted, the conveyance unit may be lowered by its own weight. The scanner and the calibration member may interfere with each other.
On the other hand, when the calibration member is separated from the scanner by drawing the calibration member upward obliquely, there has to be reserved a certain space in an apparatus to increase the whole size of the apparatus for the purpose of preventing the calibration member from interfering with a member located upward obliquely. It is thereby desired that the calibration member is designed to be withdrawn in the horizontal direction in order to avoid enlargement of the entire apparatus.
The present invention is made in order to solve such a prior art problem and it is an object of the present invention to provide an image reading apparatus and an image forming system capable of preventing image quality from being degraded, and a scanner and a calibration member from interfering with each other.